Spotlight on the Decentralised Electricity Solutions Division Activities
Figure 1: Concept of Solar Multi-utility Centre to Provide Electricity Services for Livelihood Activities
Solar Multi-utility DC load AC load
Silvering machine; splitting machine; grinder
Inverter Controller
Battery charging; honey
skimmer; solar
lantern Battery bank Features Energy resource • 5kWp solar photovoltaics system
Multiple utilities • Lantern charging • Water-purifying facilities • Battery charging • Grinding spices
• Bamboo splitting and slivering • Honey skimming
Distributed Generation Options for the Telecoms and Transport Sectors
Apart from rural electrification, DES is also addressing the challenges of electricity supply for telecommunication services, both at base stations and last-mile connectivity. Lack of availability of reliable and uninterrupted power supply has become one of the major impediments for the large-scale penetration of telecoms services in India, especially in rural and suburban areas. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get adequate grid power to run the telecom shelter (also known as base station), necessitating the use of diesel generators to supply uninterrupted power.
evaluation framework for decentralised energy projects.7 These are
being utilised by the agencies involved in the village electrification programmes for effective project implementation and monitoring. To this end, the research carried out by the DES division continues to address the knowledge gap that currently exists in strategies/approaches for enhancing the uptake of clean energy technologies. The research is catalysing action in this direction.
Promotion of the ‘Smart/Intelligent Minigrid’ Concept The concept of the smart grid has been gaining momentum in recent years.8
In one of the experimental studies carried out by the DES, it was estimated that there was scope to reduce the existing energy consumption by 25–30% in base stations by incorporating various energy-saving measures/operating practices in the passive components. In addition to the energy-saving scenario, diesel consumption can be further reduced by incorporating renewable energy sources in the shelter.9
Besides providing
With diminishing resources, the ever-increasing demand for energy needs to be met through innovative means of strengthening the grid infrastructure, i.e. through the smart grid. The major driving forces for altering the existing power grid and moving towards a smart grid are increasing the reliability, efficiency and safety of the power grid, enabling decentralised power generation (solar, wind, biomass, etc.) so that the consumer can be an energy supplier as well as a user and flexible power consumption at the consumer site as well as at the energy supply site.
A smart grid includes diverse and distributed energy sources. It brings all elements of the electricity system – generation, delivery and consumption – together to improve overall system operations for the
1. 2. 3. 4.
IEA, 2009. Available at
http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/ database_electricity/
electricity_access_database.htm.
Chaurey A, Kandpal TC, Solar lanterns for domestic lighting in India: Viability of central charging station model, Energy Policy, 2009;37(11):4910–18.
Light a Billion Lives. Available at:
www.labl.teriin.org (accessed 18 August 2010).
Urmee T, Harries D, A survey of solar PV program implementers in Asia and the Pacific regions, Energy for Sustainable Development, 2009;13(1);24–32.
18 7. 5.
the basic cellular telephony services, these energy-efficient and green telecom shelters could also be used for providing several other services. DES is piloting this concept in which telecom shelters could provide electricity services using their excess power for basic as well as productive applications required by adjoining rural communities. Battery charging for TVs/mobile phones and water purification are some of the services that can be catered for using this system. The design and demonstration of a solar charging facility for electric bikes is another innovative project that DES is currently undertaking. In this project, DES is working closely with a solar company, an e-bike manufacturer and an electronics and semiconductor company.
The Road Ahead
Energy poverty is one of the biggest challenges faced by developing nations. It is the mission of the DES to use cutting-edge scientific and technical knowledge to address the challenges of today and find solutions for a better tomorrow. n
TERI, Study on Improved Rural Electricity Services through Renewable Energy based Distributed Power Generation, conducted for The World Bank (TERI Project Report No.2008DG05); New Delhi: The Energy and Resources Institute. 2009.
6. OASYS South Asia. Available at:
http://www.oasyssouthasia.info.
TERI, Community Operations Manual for Village Energy Security Programme, prepared for Ministry of New & Renewable Energy and The World Bank; New Delhi: The
Energy and Resources Institute, 2008. 8.
PA Government Services for the review of the United States Agency for Internal Development under its Distribution Reform Upgrades and Management (DRUM) Programme for India, The Smart Grid Vision for India’s Power Sector: A White Paper, PA Government Services, March 2010.
9.
TERI, Research on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solutions for Telecom Shelter, prepared for Indus Towers Limited, New Delhi: The Energy and Resources Institute. 2008.
MODERN ENERGY REVIEW – VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2
benefits of all. Amid this, the DES division initiated a project that was the first of its kind in India on a smart minigrid. Here DES leads work on the simulation, design and demonstration of smart minigrid systems at the Energy and Resources Institute facility near Delhi. The objective of the DES initiative is to demonstrate the use of smarter control of distributed energy sources combined with the intelligent management of loads to improve the efficiency and reliability of the overall minigrid system. The smart minigrid system that is currently under construction uses various distributed generation technologies. These include solar photovoltaic, wind generator and biomass gasifiers in combination with storage batteries. The system also includes varying load, local and central controllers with a data logging, monitoring and remote access facility specifically developed within the project.
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